Our "Scrappy" Friends!

Welcome!

Hello fellow scrapbookers!!! Welcome to "Lasting Memories" which is all about LAYOUTS!! Yes, JUST layouts! There are no cards allowed here. Find us on all the social media networks and follow us so you don't miss a thing. We have weekly themed challenges, but you have the whole month to get in on the fun! Our challenges begin each Sunday at 8am EST and all 4 challenges will end on the date listed on the sidebar at 6pm EST. At month's end, we will have a prize pack for one lucky person and choose a GDT to join us for a month! Enter all 4 challenges for 4 chances to win! One entry per challenge please! No back-linking is appreciated, for we would love to know that we "Challenged" you. We look forward to challenging you and helping you get your pages completed!

Specialized Hosting Sites

A lot of crafters use specialized hosting sites that not all of us have access to. We just wanted to let you know that if we don't comment, it's because we don't have access - but we see your work here at LM and appreciate your taking the time to link up and show off your style!!

Feedjit

Monday, August 30, 2010

Hi there - Suezie here! As this week's challenge is all about using computer text on your page Karen asked me to do a tutorial to share some ideas and tips. I'm guessing most of you are reasonably familiar with computers since you're bloggin but I wonder how many of you use them in your scrap booking? I know it's important to have some of your own handwriting in your albums so I do but I also love the fun I can have with different font styles to suit my pages so I use my computer alot!

I decided the easiest way was to share several of my own pages and talk you through how I used my computer to create them. I have several programmes but I go back to 'MSWord' again and again unless I need something soooo fancy I just can't do it any other way.

Okay - this page uses pretty basic computer functions. What makes it clever is HOW you choose to use these basics! Let me show you.

Title: open up a blank word document and type letters with several spaces in between. Use your mouse to highlight letters, select 'font' type and size to alter as desired.

Next use 'font colour' to select your chosen colour (or more colours if what you want is not readily available) then print, cut, alter and add to your page. I added a large chipboard 'e' for extra interest in the page title above and remember you can always make your printed text 'bold' for more depth and colour too.

Text strips: repeat the process as for title but with complete words rather than letters and leave plenty of space to trim them to size. If you want you can use complete sentences or even break up your sentences as in the example below.

Sentiment or journaling: I like to use a table to make sure my journaling fits perfectly. This is especially important if I know I will be cutting my journaling with a punch or die-cut shape as in the page below. I will often cut my die shape and measure up the size 'cell' I need. I will also cut my die shape in acetate so I can position it over my text to ensure it's perfect.

To work in a table open a new word document, click on the 'insert' tab and then 'table - see below

Next you will be presented with an 'insert' box where you can choose the number of columns and rows etc. To make it easy simply choose 1 row and 1 column.

Your table will appear and you will need to resize it to fit your text. You could do this by clicking and dragging on the lines until you see the size you want indicated on the ruler around the page but I prefer to right click the table, select 'table properties' and

then adjust the column/row heights or width to my exact requirements give or take a fraction here or there.

Once you have your table (actually one row & column is a single cell) then you can type your text, highlight it and play around with fonts, colours and anything else you want until you are happy to send it to print.

A top tip is to print it on scrap paper first to make sure it is the size and style you want. Sometimes the view on screen is a bit deceiving so it's hard to tell for sure. Then when you know it's exactly right put in the good stuff and print again! I always print on a high quality (slightly thicker) white, acid-free paper. If I want it any other colour then I will print on coloured or even patterned paper or ink it up with an ink pad afterwards. On my first sample page I used a pale blue over the top to remove the stark white and make it tone in with my page much better.

Once you have these few basics behind you - you can begin to explore and create all kinds of fabby texts and letters using your computer.

Just to wet your appetite to experiment more I'm sharing this text strip from the 'sweet dreams' page I submitted to the Scrapbook Trends magazine. It was my first ever submission and it got almost an entire page!

I don't own a 12 x 12 printer but you can still do 12 x 12 effects. I typed using a 'horizontal' page orientation, left spaces in between words so I could add bling, used a pretty font and made it blue to match my page. Then I cut it into a strip, and simply 'snipped' it in two at just the right place so I could lay it across the page. I covered the gap with a glittered page accent that I also added printed text to. Perfect! Who would ever know that the strip wasn't 12 x 12? This is a super cool idea to add a text border strip anywhere on a page - even behind photos. Try it - I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

Okay - enough time taken up on this tutorial (don't want to overkill). I will share a few more pages using computer text and list brief details over on my blog later this week so you can check em out.

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Good morning!! Before we get to today's challenge, I have a couple things to address...first, I'd like to welcome Kristie to our DT for the remainder of this term! She was a guest DT for July/Aug, but I've asked her to stay on and she's gladly accepted! Secondly, Nancy has asked for a leave of absense from our challenges for the time being as she's in the midst of selling her house!! We wish you all the best Nancy and look forward to your return! Also, don't forget to check HERE to see last week's Top 3 AND to see who won Nancy's candy!

Now onto this week's challenge! Today we're challenging you to take a "Sentimental Journey" AND use computer generated text on your layout. This can be a title, journalling, numbers, whatever you think as long as it's done using your computer. Pretty easy huh?? We'd love to have you play along with us. You have till Friday, Sept 10 at 9pm EST to enter. Just link your creation below! After this, we'll be doing weekly challenges!! Also this week, we have Mandy offering up some candy to anyone who brings a friend or anyone who joins us for the first time! Be sure to leave a comment once you've linked your creation. We can't wait to see what you come up with!! Now let's see what the DT came up with! Don't forget, you can visit their blog by clicking their names to learn more on how they did their layouts!

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Good morning! We had a few more entries last week, thanks so much for coming out and playing along! We look forward to seeing more of your layouts!! Our Top 3 winners for last week's "Simplicity" challenge (in no particular order) is:

Hello!! I wanted to share another of our entries for this week's challenge with you. "Homestead" comes to us from Sarah, who has a chance to win some goodies from Nancy this week for being a first time entry! Good luck Sarah! Would you like a chance as well? Just play along before this coming Friday at 9pm EST and you could win! You have to be a first time player OR bring a friend!! Click HERE for the details!!

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Good morning friends! Here's another sketch to inspire you this week! Again, this one comes to us from Digital Scrapbook Place There's a TON of great ideas there just waiting for you to check out! Be sure to enter our CURRENT challenge this week which is "Simplicity In A Layout". What does simplicity mean to you?

Monday, August 16, 2010

Welcome again to our second week of "Creative Thinking"!! This weeks host is Melly and shes going show you how to achieve "Simplicity" on to your layouts!

When Karen asked me to do this I was totally honored but a bit freaked out at explaining to you all how i make my layouts! But once i set my mind to it, I got there in the end!

When I start I always start with the pic or pics I'm going use and then pick my colours round about it! For simple layouts I (not everyone) think that it means solid colours or mostly white/colour background. So I chose a picture from my Wedding and matched the colours red, green and ivory.

I wanted to add a touch of something to the red background without making it fussy. So I stamped the background using my thistle stamp I used for my Wedding.

When I begin my layouts I always start by scribbling a few ideas down until i find the perfect layout for me! If you struggle with your layouts you can use some of our Sketches or even try a card layout sketch to get you started.

When I'm happy with my sketch, I lay all my pieces down before sticking just to make sure I'm happy. Once satisfied I stick it all together!

And here is the finished layout. I changed it slightly, adding extra ribbon and adding a butterfly as it was part of our Wedding theme!

I hope this wee post can help you all bring "Simplicity" into your layouts!

We can't wait to see what you all come up with and hopefully join in our Challenge! Remember this week for every friend you bring along that enters in our challenge, your name will go into a draw for some surprise candy from Nancy! So all you have to do is leave us a comment and let us know who your friend is.

Sunday, August 15, 2010

This week's layout challenge is "Simplicity". What does simplicity mean to you? Is it one photo and lots of embellishments, maybe a couple of photo's and minimal embellishments? We'd love to see what your thoughts of simplicity are. Be sure to enter your layout below in order to be considered for Top 3. Contest closes on Friday, August 27th at 9pm EST. We can't wait to see what you create!

We're also offering up a Surprise! With being a new challenge blog, we were thinking of fun ways to get more people to come out and play and one of my DT members came up with a really fun idea! So, this week, we have TWO ways for you to win a surprise goodie bag!

For every friend you bring along that enters in our challenge, your name will go into a draw for some surprise candy from Nancy! So all you have to do is leave us a comment and let us know who your friend is. Have lots of friends who want to come and play? Enter away for even MORE chances to win!! They can bring a friend too and have a chance to win!

Never played with us before?? For all FIRST time entries, you'll be entered in the draw as well!!

Winner will be announced at the end of this challenge along with our Top 3. Now, here's some inspiration from the Design Team...be sure to click our names to visit our blogs to see what simplicity means to us.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Hello there! Hope everyone is enjoying their Tuesday afternoon. Just a reminder that you have till Friday, August 13 at 9pm EST to join our CURRENT challenge! Here's a little inspiration from Anesha to help get you started. Come on out and join us and check out what you have a chance to win!!

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Hello! Here's a little inspiration to get you started on 'Stamping Those Layouts' which is our current challenge!! You have till Friday, August 13 at 9pm to get your entry in and be considered for TOP 3 and have a chance to win some candy!! Check it out!!

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Since Karen is on holiday's this week I thought I would add another layout that I did for this weeks challenge. Challenge #3 Stamped Image. I love this layout. I used the new CTMH Topstich paper pack and also the stamps set to go along with it. I also used the CTMH stamp set Say It In Style for the big flower and the Happy Birthday along the top. I made my own layout design because I couldn't find one that I wanted for these pictures. The pictures I fancied up from the Picnik website http://www.picnik.com/ it is so fun to do. You must try it.

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Good morning! Today's sketch comes to us from Digital Scrapbook Place I thought this one looked like a lot of fun! Let's see what you can do with it! Be sure to enter your incorporation of this layout into our CURRENT challenge "Stamp Those Layouts!"

Monday, August 2, 2010

Welcome to another new addition to Lasting Memories!! Each week we will be posting a "Creative Thinking" post which will highlight something fun and exciting that you can incorporate right into your layouts!! Our first "Creative Thinking" is hosted by Priscilla, and she is going to tell you how to incorporate stamping techniques right into your layouts!!

This was a tough assignment for me. Mentally. As a rule, I don't stamp in my scrapbooks. I am paranoid about ink rubbing off on the plastic page protectors (happened to me once!) so I usually shy away from stamping near my precious pics!

I was very surprised to find that I love Love LOVE this layout! Here is how it went:

Despite me stamping-in-my-scrapbook apprehensions, I DO own quite a number of stamps and some very lovely Close To My Heart ink-pads (which I use when I {very rarely} make cards). At first I was only going to use my giant snowflake and 'Barn-Red' ink, but I was soon enjoying stamping and needed to add 'New England Ivy' snowflakes as well. It then evolved, and I ended up stamping "a very merry Christmas to you" on a side-bar piece of paper as well.

I randomly stamped snowflakes, in varying shades (this is the famous "keep stamping till you run out of ink" technique). IMPORTANT: The biggest problem with this sort of thing, is knowing when to stop. Your page can very easily become over crowded. LESS IS MORE!

I used my Creative Memories "Tag Maker" punch on a bunch of pictures, and attached small pieces of white ribbon to each one to make them look like Christmas gift tags. I randomly stamped "a very merry Christmas to you" in black ink on this red side-bar piece of paper, and then attached some of my picture tags on top of it.

I used my handy-dandy cricut and "storybook" cartridge to spell out Christmas Eve in the same red paper, lovely!

This "Special Day" sticker is from Creative Memories, mounted on white paper, cut out, and then mounted on green paper. I also used several Creative Memories holly stickers to add a little 'something.'

And there you have it... a lovely stamped page!! I just may use stamps in my scrapbook again, who knows!!

Let me know if this "Creative Thinking" post was helpful for you and we'd love to see what you come up with!! Don't forget to link your layout with our current "Stamp Those Layouts" challenge and also have a chance to win a great giveaway, courtesy of Twyla!